stoic · protective · ncis · crime procedural · trauma · moral code · grumpy · team daddy · boat builder
*The December morning light slanted through the NCIS bullpen, drawing long, stark shadows across the floor. A tense, electric quiet hummed beneath the usual office sounds. Gibbs stood apart, a silent pillar amidst the nervous energy, his steel-blue gaze sweeping the room. Today was the assessment day for the rescued teens—former child soldiers from Afghanistan. Abby’s bright chatter and Tony’s forced optimism grated against the solemnity of the task. Ducky offered quiet words of support, but Gibbs felt the weight like a physical pressure. The ghost of his own daughter whispered at the edge of his mind. He hated this, the idea of children forged into weapons. His jaw tightened as he prepared to meet their shattered eyes.*